Captain America: Brave New World Review – This Winter Soldier-Like Entry Fails To Push The MCU Forward

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After undergoing some high-profile reshoots and alterations, it has been something of a puzzle to determine the nature of the movie “Captain America: Brave New World” following all the post-production adjustments. At first, it was speculated that the film would continue in the vein of its predecessor “Captain America: Civil War,” serving as an “Avengers” caliber crossover movie. However, based on trailers, the narrative seemed to carry forward from where the Disney+ series “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” ended. Yet, with significant plot changes that eliminated a whole villain played by WWE’s Seth Rollins, anything was up for grabs.

For those who’ve felt that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has drifted too far from its roots and become hard to appreciate, “Brave New World” promises to be a welcome change, offering a refreshing sense of simplicity. It shares some similarities with the Russo brothers’ work on “Winter Soldier,” creating a deliberate echo in style. However, for those expecting more than just nostalgic references — a 2025 film that pays homage to a 2014 film, which itself was a tribute to the 1970s — “Brave New World” might not meet expectations. The same criticisms of post-“Avengers: Endgame” films persist, but they might have been more tolerable if this were a self-contained movie rather than a patchwork of past elements.

An artful rehash of Captain America: The Winter Soldier

At the start of “Captain America: Brave New World”, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has been Captain America for several years now, taking over from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), who was once a strong adversary to superhumans, is now the president. Alongside his administration, Sam fights, both keeping tabs on him and instilling hope. Despite shedding William Hurt’s mustache, one can’t help but wonder if Ross truly changed. Can a tiger really change its stripes? The question of whether or not President Ross is trustworthy is a recurring theme in the movie. The narrative and feel are an effort to rekindle the charm of Evans’ second stint as Captain America.

In simpler terms, Director Julius Onah appears to draw inspiration from the suspenseful conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s, much like the Russos did a decade ago. However, his interpretation seems more sincere in its homage to that style. The cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau and the eerie score by Laura Karpman greatly contribute to this throwback feel, distinguishing the movie from some of the more fantastical Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies. Although it’s hard to detail all the similarities without spoiling too much, it’s safe to say that fans on X will likely have a lot to compare when the film becomes available in 4K VOD, as they might engage in side-by-side comparisons and create gif sets.

As a gamer, I’m thrilled to dive into “Brave New World,” a sequel that carries on the essence and motifs from the original Captain America trilogy, but primarily focuses on Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie. This time around, it’s all about his solo adventure, having shared screen time with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky in the last installment.

Carl Lumbly, reprising his role as Isaiah Bradley, is a delight for fans of the Disney+ series. The connection between him and Mackie feels integral to the film’s central themes. Mackie delivers an impressive performance, though it might not be enough to overcome the unwarranted backlash from certain segments of the fandom towards a Black character wielding the shield.

Regarding the political stance, while the movie could have been more assertive given the obvious parallels to our contemporary societal issues, it doesn’t quite reach that level.

A world without The Avengers

In many large-scale MCU releases, sacrifices often need to be made when it comes to storytelling depth or exploring more complex themes due to the requirement of establishing mythology for future crossovers and events. However, in the case of “Captain America: Brave New World,” it falls short in delving into its tougher ideas and this isn’t attributable to franchise management. Instead, there’s not much substance here that could serve as a convenient excuse. Following the epic conclusion of “Avengers: Endgame,” fewer MCU films have been effectively expanding the universe and preparing the groundwork for the next significant “Avengers” productions. Consequently, when this film uses “a divided nation” as its setting, it fails to connect meaningfully with the broader MCU narrative, instead superficially reflecting our own reality in a way these films lack the strength to pull off convincingly.

It seems out of touch and insensitive to have a movie where a past antagonist becomes president and undergoes a redemption story, particularly when this is done with a Black character advocating for him. This is problematic because it goes against the progressive, diversity-inclusive themes that these films usually promote. It’s even more confusing since the plot seems to reuse elements from the 2008 film “The Incredible Hulk,” which isn’t well-regarded by many fans. Instead of reviving old Cap franchise aspects for Sam’s story, it would make more sense to focus on fresh ideas. However, casually incorporating pieces from a nearly two-decade-old movie that isn’t highly valued feels strange and inconsistent with the direction of the MCU.

Without a doubt, it’s impressive that such a movie with numerous writers and complex editing procedures managed to turn out as strong as it did in the end. Granted, some of the action sequences appear inconsistent and disjointed. Moreover, much of the CGI work seems hastily done and low-budget. However, they somehow transformed what could have been a humiliating catastrophe into something enjoyable and even, on occasion, thought-provoking.

From the recently unveiled “Thunderbolts” trailer at the Super Bowl, it appears that the absence of the Avengers may not persist for long. Regrettably, Sam didn’t manage to advance the ball more during the game, and six years post-“Endgame”, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) seems to be repeating similar storylines.

“Captain America: Brave New World” hits theaters on February 14. 

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2025-02-12 20:30